4G vs 5G Wireless Broadband – What Can We Expect? [SPONSORED]

With 4G wireless internet just getting on its feet, surely it’s too soon for talk of 5G? When it comes to technology, it seems it’s never too early to start talking about the next step. However, there is talking and there is doing – we can talk about the prospects of 5G internet, but it’s still a long way off. You can learn more about the mobile broadband deals from iinet by visiting their site directly.

What to expect from 5G

The 4G – or fourth generation – wireless broadband technology we use now is categorized under a set of standards. While the current 4G never actually reached the original standards set out for 4G, 4G LTE – what we all use now – is generally thought of as ‘4G’.

At the moment, 5G is yet have a set of standards – instead, it is just the term we use to describe the next step after 4G. Nevertheless, what exactly is expected of 5G?

While 4G focused on increasing the speeds, 5G should focus on reducing the power needed to access higher speeds. Yes, 5G should be faster than its predecessor, but it should also be less power-hungry, allowing mobile devices to connect to the network, without draining batteries like 4G LTE tends to do.

Providing faster speeds and lowering power drainage will move us further towards ubiquitous computing, but 5G will also need to work on using wireless spectrum more efficiently. If there is one thing 4G has taught us is, there simply isn’t enough wireless spectrum to go around.

5G providers will need more capacity, which will mean they will need more available frequencies. Because available frequencies are in short supply, they will need to work at getting more from the limited amount available.

This may mean moving from a static allocation of spectrum to a dynamic allocation, it may mean shortening the distance between users and base stations, or it may mean developing the use of MIMO antenna technology.

When will we see 5G wireless internet?

At the moment, providers are still working on their 4G networks, so it may be some time before we see any real news about 5G. We had 3G for a decade, so assuming that it will take providers another decade to develop 5G, we could expect the next generation of wireless internet around 2020.

Before 5G can be introduced, its standards and specifications will need to be finalized. Providers will need to work on the technology to adhere to these standards, and put billions into making it happen. 5G speeds will be comparable to the nbn rollout by iinet, which you can learn more about at their site.

While 5G is a long way off, that hasn’t stopped people from talking about it. Samsung recently announced the development of its new mobile data transfer technology, described as potentially up to “several hundred times” faster than current 4G networks.

In its testing process, this technology managed to transmit data at a speed of up to 1.056Gbps to a distance of up to 2km. If this is what 5G technology holds, it’s definitely something to look forward to.

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About The Author

Liew is believed to be the first full-time blogger in Malaysia since 2005. A former professional programmer and webmaster, Liew courageously made the jump from hobby blogging to blogging as a full-time, successful career. Today he enjoys working from home and spending time with his family.